![]() Just a stone’s throw from the Gouffre de Padirac in the Lot, are the Grottes de Presque, offering yet another cathedral of wonders. Lifts are available for those who do not wish to tackle the long staircase back to the surface. Stretching 94 metres high, this extraordinary space is a feast for the eyes: in the words of Édouard-Alfred Martel, the man who discovered the Gouffre de Padirac, “nowhere else has nature built more extraordinary monuments”. Clinging on to the roof by a slender thread, the ‘Grand Pendeloque’ is a 60-metre colossal stalactite, its image reflected in the shimmering ‘Lac de Pluie’ (the Lake of Rain).Īfter disembarking the boat and proceeding on foot, the cave opens out into the Salle du Grand Dôme, and the ascending walkways allow visitors ample opportunity to marvel at stunning crystal accumulations. King of caves, this one really does have it all, and is one of the most-visited cave complexes in France.ĭescending 103 metres down a steep staircase, visitors are ushered into a boat that transports them along a subterranean river, with staggering views of the formations that trickle from the canopy. The Gouffre de Padirac’s standing as one of the best caves in the Lot, and indeed France, means it’s a standard feature on any keen explorer’s French itinerary. ![]() ![]() The 45-minute tour provides an excellent introduction to the history and geology of the cave, allowing visitors plenty of time to explore this magnificent cavern. For those willing to pay a little extra, it’s even possible to be lowered from the roof of the chamber in a specially designed, rotating viewing platform, offering close-up views of the stalactites and petrified waterfalls that descend from the canopy.Īs the sound and light show begins, the story of the cave is revealed, stage-by-stage, casting eerie shadows and illuminating the remarkable crystal formations that hang from the walls. Today, visitors enter this Dordogne cave in darkness. In winter, the hole at the top of this extraordinary cavern emits plumes of smoke, which, long ago, led local residents to believe that the fires of hell were burning just below the surface, ready to ensnare unsuspecting sinners. Once at the bottom, you can’t help but look up in wonder at the small circle of sky that now looks decidedly faraway.Known locally for centuries as the ‘Devil’s Hole’, the Gouffre de Proumeyssac is the stuff of legends. This enormous sink hole then leads into a cave system, created by millennia of subterranean underground water erosion which has carved out spectacular caverns in the limestone, full of enormous stalactites and stalagmites deep under the ground.įirst, you descend by lift or the impressive metal staircase, the design of which was inspired by the Eiffel Tower of Paris. In times gone by it was often referred to by the local population as the devil’s hole, and it’s a sight to behold as you and other awestruck visitors gaze down into the enormous 75-metre chasm into the earth, 33 meters wide. More than 24 million visitors (and counting) have come to marvel at this natural wonder, and it continues to enthrall those who see it. Discovered by the famous French cave explorer Edouard Martel, it was opened to the public in 1899. ![]() The Gouffre de Padirac is one of the largest chasms in Europe. ![]()
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